U.S. March consumer spending up 0.3%, inflation eases

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - U.S. consumer spending grew 0.3% in March while inflation pressures eased, the Commerce Department said Monday. Consumer spending growth was the weakest since last October. Personal income rose 0.7% in March for the second straight month. Economists were expecting spending to rise 0.5% in March, with income up 0.6%, according to a MarketWatch survey. Core inflation was flat in March. The core personal consumption index is up 2.1% in the past 12 months, down from a 2.4% rise in February. It remains above the Fed's 2.0% ceiling. Adjusted for inflation, consumer spending fell 0.2% in March, the largest drop since September 2005,

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